Bungie Licenses Faceware Technology

The Halo developer signs up for Image Metrics' new facial animation platform.

By Chris Burke

Image Metrics has been responsible for the facial animations in more than a few recognizable games: Gears of War 2, Grand Theft Auto IV, Assassin's Creed 2, and even God of War III.

We've had several opportunities to talk about the technology in the past, interviewing the company's Executive VP and going behind-the-scenes. Today, Image Metrics announced that they're making Faceware, the proprietary software used in those blockbuster games, available to game developers. And the very first company to sign up is Bungie Studios.

Instead of outsourcing their animation to Image Metrics, developers will now be able to take care of the whole process in-house. "We are excited to put this powerful tool in the hands of world-class developers like Bungie, so that they can benefit from the reduced production schedules, increased believability, and cost savings Image Metrics has always provided through our technology," said Image Metrics' CEO Michael Starkenburg.

Meanwhile, Bungie's Creative Director hinted at how Faceware is going to be put to use in their next game. "Creating realistic facial animation is a critical component to bringing believable, character-driven performances to life for our next studio project. FACEWARE lets us raise our extremely high quality bar and maintain the ultra fast turnaround times and animator efficiency we need without impacting our existing pipeline. No other tool gives us this level of flexibility and control."